First Boot: Amstrad PCW256 256k (first time since 2002) Or rather first FAIL!

[doxdex1562]

green screen of doom and death

[MrKolva]

That was my first computer in 1985, its like bendixguy77 says, i have respect for this computer, and thanks my knowledge about computer to it, i can say i have a big knowledge about computers,.. but you guys,..no respect,.. go back to the books and stay away from the internet realy a stupid demonstration.

[bendixguy77]

Yes it does hurt watching somebody being so brutal to such a classic, I have the 8512 system. If he loads CP/M first before loading the games you might actually get somewhere. If the CP/M disk doesn't load then perhaps the drive belts have perrished and need to be replaced.  It doesn't have a hard disk and I dont think it ever did. Violently striking the computer wont do it any good. Makes me want to swoop in and rescue it. These people don't seem to care for this lovely little computer.

[yorktransit77]

So, Did it work

[wesmatron]

LOL. You guys look like you had far more fun with this machine in 7 minutes than anybody did in the 80s ;)

[MrAsrgr]

Give "Sir Alan" a ring and ask him WTF is up with it

[kinmanyuen]

lol IT crowd ^^

[EmoAssociation]

mayabe it is an refrigerator with a green tv? at least it sounds like one.

[MustNotRead]

somebody needs a personality transplant. could you imagine trying to have a conversation with this nob, it'd be like talking to a Blue Peter presenter. I wonder if he speaks like this when talking to his friends and family. Silly fucker.

[TheTechPlank]

@MustNotRead I would guess trying to hold a conversation with someone as absent minded as yourself would be like watching someone attempt to clap with one hand. Retarded and useless.

Blocked.

[wisteela]

Locoscript of CP/M will start it up. If not, it needs a new drive belt. Somebody would buy it off you on eBay.

[ClarionCoder51]

I think you're overreacting a little...

[tibu200864]

It hurts watching two morons hammering on a classical Computer cause all they are able 2 do is 2 click on icons. That machine can simply b fixed by mounting a new drive belt. That machine does absolutely nothing until it is booted with an appropriate DISK ( CP/M 3.0 , 4 example). RTFM, guys!!!

[retrocomputerkidkris]

@tibu200864 true

[donuttyUK]

If you don't want to bother ordering a belt, the appropriate size / stretchyness rubber band will do for a quick test spin-up. I've used an elastic band more than once as a quick fix for a PCW disk drive!

[griftereck]

its probably needs the disc drive cleaned.

the connector is a Din type. Its a standard electrical connector. But the wiring of it is specific to the Amstrad. So you cant use old PC keyboards on it.

PS2 connectors are called Mini Din.

[elshalif]

I could beat myself for throwing away "My Precioussss" Schneider Joyce PC... such a jewel of computer technology!!

[HavokDelta6]

somebody needs a haircut

[anewman1980]

MarkTheMorose is correct. I did the job ages ago but no idea where to get the belts now.

The machine beeps and turns off the disk drive as it hasn't detected a disc in the drive. If I remember right you press space and it starts trying again.

[MarkTheMorose]

I've just repaired a donated PCW 8256, and as others have mentioned here, the drive belt needed replacing, that was all. It's a fiddly job, and the belts are about £1-£2 each.

Reply if you need further details.

[MKUltraProject]

Did you just say 'DRIVE BELT' !? o_0

[MarkTheMorose]

Yes indeed, drive belt. Rather like in older VHS video recorders and hi-fi turntables, the 3-inch floppy drive in Amstrad's home computers used a belt, rather than directly driving the mechanism to rotate the floppy disk.

[tribalmasters]

Amstrad PCWs to not have a BIOS and very little boot code that is why you cannot see anything. It wants a boot disk before it can even display a font! If the floppy drive is broke of course it won't do anything at all!

[halogenetor]

get alan sugar to fix it ! lol

[MKUltraProject]

you can't polish a turd

[clairesreelymovin]

the connector is called an AT connector.

PS1 type.

[ZILOGz80VIDEOS]

dude please let it run... the sound is butifull... the compuer is butiful... let it's system boot... and i think that is the fan

[ZILOGz80VIDEOS]

YOU RULE!!!

i love the z80!!

i love old computers!!

why am i yelling!?!!

i don't know!!?!?!

[porschekid711]

I think the green screen is like window's blue screen of death

[ogicabp4u]

Its working!! You switch it on on the green screen insert the CP/M 2 disk and it will boot off the disk into locoscript then you can load other softwares

[DuffCookie1]

GSOD LOL ?

[peanuttherat]

ummm boot disk than ctrl a? comen sense its ok not bad dude cool it

[Cammac360]

I feel like something is going to jump out when the screen goes green. lol

[madmax200769]

Usual fault is the laggy-band gone in the disk drives. You can get repair kits. Most CF2 disk drives that haven't been very carefully looked after by now will be deadsville. I have several out on the shed in the same condition.

You can convert *some* 720k 3inch drives to work on 'em. Triple beep is probably disk seek failure. There's no built in BIOS as I recall and everything comes off floppy!

[RPCJerkobi]

If you kill the disk drive it will make an impressive light. ;)

[thestig888]

FAIL!!

[WillThePlank]

Of the epic Variety!

[thestig888]

i can remember seing one of these in the library when i was at high school

[TheGnomeLocker]

Just watched a vid in the side bar which solves your problem.lol Ya have to insert the LocoScript while its on. *thwaps you.*

[DannyMinick]

GSOD? lulz.

[Seanuk]

BANG!!

[feverofhell2]

Will i a amstrad like that in my attic the screensaver is EPIC!

[xelentoliver]

i have that plug splitter

[grayfox106]

"You've upset it again" "All i wanted it to do was read a disk" LOL

[willschollar]

lol tht is a piece of shit

[DJE179]

It did say it was a green screen lol

[arranmc182]

ah ha ha lolz that was funny will give us a update if u get it to work 5star video

[simonps1966]

A blast from the past, i remember it well!

[errrAsh]

LOL SO Fkin Funny, How your both like err WTF? He did fix it in the end tho LOL :O:D

[DeadFredVideo]

Wow, epic old computer lol

The green screen must have given you a right headache lol

Great vid :)

[DEUCHONMANDIC]

So did you piss on it? LOL

[DRBUK]

amstrad....lol. funny how they now make set top boxes for sky digital... ye to be honest, amstrad could have really taken over the industry, but sir alan sugar, likes small to medium sized companies and nothing more..later on he bought viglen computers, and well now HE SOLD EVERYTHING to sky....great ocmputer for its time. nice one will !

[brendan171]

did u watch that show on bbc 2 about amstrad lol

[DRBUK]

no why.lol

[brendan171]

oh ok lol ur knowledge of sir alan sugar and amstrad is good just thought u watched that show on bbc about sir alan sugar and amstrad it was pretty good catch it on iplayer lol

[DRBUK]

oh, i should watch that...no, i know a lot as sir alan is one of those ppl i keep tabs on, read his books, interested in his ways in business. watched first season of apprentice, loved it etc, so i know a bit here and there...btw, i really would like to watch the iplayer, thing, i never use that enough, do i jus go bbc website ?

[Branhower1]

Holy cow! I've never even heard of that model.

[TheTechPlank]

FIRSTZ